School Site Masterplans

At Lytle Associates we have extensive experience of school design across a range of school sectors from nurseries and first schools to sixth form colleges and universities, stretching back over 30 years.

Lytle Associates have prepared masterplans for schools including: The Oratory School; Gillotts School, Henley; St Hilary’s School, Godalming; Notre Dame School; Cranmore School; Guildford High School for Girls and Tolworth Girls’ School

For many of our school clients we recommend the preparation of a School Site Masterplan to give a fresh perspective on the whole school estate and identify building projects within a strategic long term vision.

The masterplan process begins with gathering information about the school (structure, numbers, curriculum, current issues, future plans) the school site (existing drawings, ownership, planning history) and all the stakeholders (discussions with staff, pupils, parents, admin and site staff, other user groups).

We generally spend at least one whole day at the school to include observing morning drop off, lunchtime, circulation between lessons and use of teaching spaces in the school.  Our analysis then includes consideration of everything from room sizes, environmental quality, fire escapes and flexibility to meet the curriculum to site constraints to likely planning conditions, tress, potential phasing, logistics and indicative build costs. A draft masterplan would be refined and developed, with feedback from the school, to produce a preferred solution and recommendation.

A good school Masterplan offers a vision for adding new buildings and facilities, enhancing the character and strengths of the existing school site, revitalising current teaching spaces and creating an enhanced school campus for the future. The Masterplan is conceived as a working document which can evolve over time whilst providing a framework within which all development can be prioritised and a vision to work towards.